Phantom Stang
09-22-2005, 08:39 PM
Mustangs face another longtime rival
By RON HOWELL/Reporter Sports Editor
Though it is now a perennial Class 3A power and resides in a top-heavy district that has two other state-ranked teams and heated rivals (Snyder and Wylie), it hasn't been that many years since Sweet-water was playing this week's non-district opponent -- Pecos -- on a regular basis in its Class 4A heyday of the 1980s and '90s when the two schools were in the same district for a number of years.
And while the rivalry wasn't too com-petive on the surface -- Sweetwater de-feated Pecos 15 straight times until the teams quit playing in the same district after the 1997 season -- the Eagles rarely went down easily.
One of the toughest games was in 1991, a year when Sweetwater reached the 4A state semifinals, and faced Pecos for its homecoming game to start district play. The Mustangs squeaked out a 7-0 vic-tory that year over an Eagles squad that finished near the bottom of the district.
The Eagles (1-3), who like Sweetwater have dropped to Class 3A, are the homecoming foe again at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Pecos' only win -- ironically, 7-0 -- was against Class 2A Kermit in Week 3. Pecos played another 2A school, Crane, last week and was blown out 48-7.
Pecos does have a good offensive wea-pon on its side, one Sweetwater faced a year ago when it won 42-0. Luis Ortega has rushed for 405 yards on 68 carries, though he has just one touchdown.
"He's had a big year so far," said Sweet-water coach Kent Jackson. "Their quar-terback (Eddie Vela) is a fireplug who plays hard and makes things happen. Defensively, they've got great size across the front and good, mobile linebackers."
Jackson said he expects his team to use this week and next to "get as prepared as we can for the district race."
"The next two weeks are big for us," he continued. "We don't want to take a step back after the strides we have made."
But the Mustangs will have to make an adjustment to their lineup for the sec-ond straight week due to a key injury. Duone Cunnings, a starting cornerback and backup quarterback, fractured his collarbone against Andrews and could be out for over a month. Justin Rodriguez and J.J. McCoy will share time Friday at his cornerback spot, and Shawn Kincaid is now the top backup to starting QB Sonny Birdwell.
Cunnings was also the team's starting punter against Andrews, replacing Ken-dal Carrillo who was hurt against Green-wood, but he will be replaced this week by freshman Rufus McCann.
Copyright © 2005 Sweetwater Reporter
By RON HOWELL/Reporter Sports Editor
Though it is now a perennial Class 3A power and resides in a top-heavy district that has two other state-ranked teams and heated rivals (Snyder and Wylie), it hasn't been that many years since Sweet-water was playing this week's non-district opponent -- Pecos -- on a regular basis in its Class 4A heyday of the 1980s and '90s when the two schools were in the same district for a number of years.
And while the rivalry wasn't too com-petive on the surface -- Sweetwater de-feated Pecos 15 straight times until the teams quit playing in the same district after the 1997 season -- the Eagles rarely went down easily.
One of the toughest games was in 1991, a year when Sweetwater reached the 4A state semifinals, and faced Pecos for its homecoming game to start district play. The Mustangs squeaked out a 7-0 vic-tory that year over an Eagles squad that finished near the bottom of the district.
The Eagles (1-3), who like Sweetwater have dropped to Class 3A, are the homecoming foe again at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Pecos' only win -- ironically, 7-0 -- was against Class 2A Kermit in Week 3. Pecos played another 2A school, Crane, last week and was blown out 48-7.
Pecos does have a good offensive wea-pon on its side, one Sweetwater faced a year ago when it won 42-0. Luis Ortega has rushed for 405 yards on 68 carries, though he has just one touchdown.
"He's had a big year so far," said Sweet-water coach Kent Jackson. "Their quar-terback (Eddie Vela) is a fireplug who plays hard and makes things happen. Defensively, they've got great size across the front and good, mobile linebackers."
Jackson said he expects his team to use this week and next to "get as prepared as we can for the district race."
"The next two weeks are big for us," he continued. "We don't want to take a step back after the strides we have made."
But the Mustangs will have to make an adjustment to their lineup for the sec-ond straight week due to a key injury. Duone Cunnings, a starting cornerback and backup quarterback, fractured his collarbone against Andrews and could be out for over a month. Justin Rodriguez and J.J. McCoy will share time Friday at his cornerback spot, and Shawn Kincaid is now the top backup to starting QB Sonny Birdwell.
Cunnings was also the team's starting punter against Andrews, replacing Ken-dal Carrillo who was hurt against Green-wood, but he will be replaced this week by freshman Rufus McCann.
Copyright © 2005 Sweetwater Reporter